Australia ICOMOS History

Australia ICOMOS has been an active and influential heritage conservation organisation for forty years. As part of its 40th Anniversary (in 2016), Australia ICOMOS prepared a concise history of its origins and significant achievements, in particular the evolution of the Burra Charter.

In this document you will find more information about Australia ICOMOS and its role, nationally and internationally. The history of the organisation and its achievements is presented in the context of the evolution of heritage practice in Australia and with reference to international development. It provides an overview of the work done by Australia ICOMOS with our international colleagues and partner organisations.

This publication will be useful for current and future members of Australia ICOMOS, for governments, organisations, project collaborators, students and for community members with an interest in heritage.

In 2014, Australia ICOMOS commissioned the historian Bronwyn Hanna to prepare a history on the development of our organisation, in line with international intentions to prepare such histories for each of the national committees of ICOMOS. Bronwyn completed the document “Innovation in Conservation: A timeline history of Australia ICOMOS and the Burra Charter” in 2015. This excellent document was based on detailed oral histories and published sources, compiled a detailed record of the organisation’s achievements and included a detailed timeline of events since the establishment of Australia ICOMOS in 1976.

Australia ICOMOS has now taken Bronwyn’s detailed documentary work and prepared a concise history of the organisation’s origins and significant achievements for wider readership. This brief history has been written and prepared for publication by Nicholas Hall, who adapted the information from Bronwyn’s work and from other sources. We are extremely grateful for the substantial contributions by Bronwyn and Nicholas, who have made this project possible.

We hope that this publication will be useful for current and future members of Australia ICOMOS, for governments, organisations, project collaborators, students and for community members with an interest in heritage. We thank profusely those who have assisted on the steering committee of this project: Tracy Ireland, Mary Knaggs, Sheridan Burke, Edwina Jans, and Tim Winter, and as always Georgia Meros, who’s help has been invaluable.

We also anticipate that there will be suggested additions (including photographs) and changes to the document as it is circulated and reviewed by our members, and therefore this document is clearly marked as a first edition!